


A New Game

by RhiaDalish



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, cullrian - Freeform, dai - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:33:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4840826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhiaDalish/pseuds/RhiaDalish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian tries to convince and overworked Cullen to try a new game besides chess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Did You Forget?

“Anything else, soldier?” Cullen rubbed his forehead, trying to placate the headache that was threatening to emerge.

“Nothing further, Commander.” The messenger saluted and marched from the room. These new recruits and their ridiculously crisp attention to military procedure. It still amused him, the corner of his mouth curling.

His desk was piled with maps and hastily written scraps of intelligence that he was somehow supposed to piece together as if they had fitting edges. Cullen signed and leaned heavily on his desk, resting his hands on the disorderly surface. The headache knocked on the inside of his skull trying to gain entrance.

“Busy day, Commander?”

“What?” Cullen spun to find Dorian in the doorway holding a velvet-wrapped bundle in his arms.

“You haven’t even been down to the practice yard today,” Dorian strutted in, his smile always telling of a double meaning. “I didn’t even get to see you shirtless and sweaty. A pity.”

“I… uh,” Cullen felt his face flush. A soldier that had been in earshot coughed and shuffled away. Cullen scowled and shut the door.

“My, but you are cute when you’re flustered,” Dorian grinned wolfishly, watching the Commander grow more ruffled as he crossed the room to shut the other door. The mage approached the desk and unceremoniously started shoving the papers and reports into haphazard piles on the floor.

“Hey! That’s important information –“

“Dreadfully dull and tedious – yes, yes. I’m sure it’s of the utmost importance for you to know…” Dorian turned the page in his hand and cocked his head so that he could read the scratched note, “…that red templars were spotted near Crestwood? Oh dear, this might actually be important.” Dorian folded the paper up neatly and tucked it into Cullen’s armor, making sure to brush the Commander’s neck with his fingers.

“You can’t just come in here and dismantle my system,” Cullen snapped another paper from Dorian’s hand, nearly ripping it in half. He sighed heavily. “Now I won’t know where anything is!”

Dorian looked him square in the face, eyebrow raised. “Cullen, sit your shapely ass down and stop talking.”

Cullen sneered at the mage who was untying and unraveling the velvet parcel on the now cleared desk. Feeling the desire to sit for his own comfort, the Commander relented. “What in Andraste’s name is all this?”

“Well, Commander, since you continually best me at chess, I thought we would give this a try.” He unsheathed a rolled up parchment that when spread out held several strange symbols in a spiral pattern. Dorian flipped up a flap in the velvet package and extracts four glassy spheres with flat bottoms followed by two tiny serpents. One was carved from onyx and the other from quartz. Cullen watched, puzzled as Dorian continued to pull out pieces. An elaborately decorated set of dice with at least 10 sides each, a small stack of hand-illustrated cards, a miniscule time glass with black, crystalline sand, and finally a large golden coin with a woman’s profile stamped upon it.

“Is this… a game?” Cullen gave Dorian a look of annoyance and laid his hands on the desk to push himself up.

“Sit!” Dorian reached over the game pieces and pushed Cullen’s shoulders downward. The Commander sat, his arms crossed.

“What is the meaning of all this?” Cullen’s amber eyes glared. “I’m very busy, Dorian.”

“I know and that is exactly why I need to teach you the joys of Kevesh,” the mage elegantly indicated the game with a wave of his hands.

“Dorian,” Cullen was rubbing his forehead again, “I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t have time right now.”

“Oh come now, everyone here knows you don’t have time because you work every single moment of the day and night. When did you last sleep?”

“My sleeping habits are adequate.”

“Is that why your eyes have saddle bags? It’s not a very good look, I’m afraid. Ages you.”

“Why is it any of your concern? I’m doing my job and you should be doing yours – whatever that is.”

Dorian placed a hand on his chest, aghast. “You wound me, Commander.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Cullen grumbled. They sat in relative silence, the sounds of the keep echoing through the window slits behind the desk. The horses in the stabled whinnied and it sounded like Blackwall was chopping wood.

“I’m concerned is all,” Dorian fidgeted with his cards, breaking his cocky demeanor.

Cullen uncrossed his arms, disarmed by the mage’s genuine tone. “Why are you concerned?”

“Don’t tell me you already forgot our little triste the other night. I’m insulted.”

“No!” the Commander held out his hands and shook his head, “No, I have not forgotten.”

“Well… I’ve been thinking about it.”

“As have I.”

“You have?”

“Of course,” Cullen’s expression softened.

“I … didn’t expect…” Dorian met his amber gaze, searching for deception or deceit and finding none. He had thought he caught a glimmer of it in Cullen’s eyes that night. That connecting spark, the one that could ignite a fire inside him. On impulse, he reached across the desk and laced his fingers with the Commander’s.

 Cullen’s scar raised with his smile. “Is this part of the game?”

“No, but if you like I can think of a few other games we can try.”


	2. Reverie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen fondly remembers the night he and Dorian made their affections known. More fluffiness.

Cullen sighed sleepily. Dorian was sitting up in the bed behind him, reading a book of a mysterious and archaic subject matter while he absently twirled his  agile  fingers in the Commander’s curls. He was ruffling the hair that took way too long to tame, but it was relaxing. Dorian was relaxing, Cullen admitted to himself. 

It had been a week exactly since they had their encounter. Unexpected would be putting it mildly in Cullen’s mind. However it wasn’t exactly the word he was searching for. Dorian had made a few flirtatious remarks here and there, and Cullen had taken them gracefully, but he had  never foreseen anything materializing from those  chance  affections. Especially not from his own heart, his own lips.

***

“Commander!” 

Cullen peered over his shoulder at the jovial voice. “Dorian,” He smiled politely. It had been a long day, longer than usual. The Commander had lost a good squad today and after penning the condolence letters to their family  felt that a drink was in order.

“You look troubled,” Dorian’s lips curled on one side. “I hate to see a handsome man so troubled. Would you  c a re to talk about it?”

“No, thank you.” Cullen looked into his flagon, the faces of the lost soldiers swimming around his tired mind.

“Very well,” Dorian’s voice was gentle. “But I mean it, Commander. I’m all ears, as you Southerners say.”

“Actually,” Cullen caught the mage by the arm, “Perhaps talking would do me some good.”

“Perhaps,” the mage sat back down, his posture of eager attentiveness. Cullen hoped this was a genuine offer of counsel and not a grab for the Commander’s latest gossip. However, at this point, he felt like he was going to burst if he did not get these thoughts out of his head.

Cullen spoke slowly and hesitantly  at first, not wanting to spill  the entire contents of his overflowing brain onto the tavern floor all in one go.

“I’m terribly sorry, Commander.” Dorian’s usually sparkling demeanor was somber. He set a warm hand on Cullen’s drooping shoulder. “I truly am.”

“As am I,” Cullen welcomed the gesture , but it was most likely the end of the session . This is where he expected the mage to make his graceful departure to leave him to his sorrows. This is where Cullen went back to  drinking  alone and trying not to either weep or break the table in two. This is where…

“Tell me about them,” Dorian  set his wine down, his elegant hand curling under his chin. Cullen took notice that the mage had not once broken his attentiveness. Either he was very skilled at maintaining this feigned interest, or… 

Cullen spent the next hour fondly telling Dorian all he could remember about the soldiers. Any tiny detail. The way  Glendal  got terrible hay fever in the Hinterlands – only in the Hinterlands. The way  Rorston  keeled backwards when he laughed hard,  which was often. How excited Dawes  had been to meet his new daughter.

His heart felt lighter, but in the way an empty satchel feels lighter. Still, it was preferable to  the  painful ,  on - the - brink of bursting  feeling . Dorian had helped him take out those broken pieces, like a surgeon removing bits of  shrapnel, skillfully preventing  more damage during extraction. He was perfect company, careful to smile sadly or laugh fondly when it was needed. And Cullen had needed it.

They were still talking as they left the tavern, Dorian wanting to give Cullen a book from his immense and eclectic library he had been building for the Inquisition. 

“This isn’t necessary, Dorian. You’ve done a lot for me tonight as it is.”

“Nonsense, Commander. My work is never done,” He held the door open for Cullen and bowed him in as if they were attending the Winter Palace. Cullen felt his face flush a bit  as he walked into the keep.

“What is this book if I may ask?”

“The way you spoke about your men, it reminded me of this book. I think you would find solace in it.”

“I see,” Cullen felt the blush spreading. It was a nice feeling, as if his cold tired flesh were finally thawing.

The library was empty except for the two of them. The stillness was comforting as was the lingering scent of incense and parchment that hung in the air in Dorian’s study area. 

“Please sit while I find it,” Dorian waved a gracefully hand towards the elegant red chair near the window. Cullen did not feel like sitting, but he was too polite to decline.

“You were very kind to lend your ear tonight. I appreciate it.”

“I’m always willing t o lend you whatever part of me you require, Commander.”

“Cullen, please.”

Dorian turned, a coy smile on his lips. “As you wish, Cullen.”

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the heat of his skin. He chuckled, not knowing why that smile caused such a bodily reaction. He readjusted his posture in the chair and cleared his throat. Cullen could tell without seeing the mage’s face that he was enjoying this.

“Any luck?” He tried to make his voice casual, but succeeded in a painfully halting tone.

“Ah!” Dorian pulled a slim book bound in blue-dyed leather from a high shelf. “There you are, you rapscallion.”

“Oh well,” Cullen stood, still trying to regain his passive demeanor, “Again, thank you.”

“Are you in a hurry to leave, Cullen?” Dorian rolled the name across his tongue in a way that Cullen had not heard before. 

“No, sorry, it’s just…” He fumb led, then gave up and shrugged.

“Look at you, all flustered,” Dorian smirked, holding the book out. Cullen reached for it, only for Dorian to pull the book towards himself. Pulling the Commander close. “Aren’t you adorable?”

“Hardly,” Cullen looked at his feet, trying to hide his face.

“Am I making you nervous? It’s perfectly normal if I am,” Dorian tapped two fingers on the underside of Cullen’s chin, urging him to look at him. “I am very handsome and that can be alarming to some people.”

Cullen looked up into those silvery eyes and chuckled. “No, you aren’t making me nervous. I mean, you are, but…” he was fumbling again, but his mind was clear even if his mouth could not form the words. He was feeling… something. Attraction? It definitely felt like attraction, but it was different. Not just because Dorian was a man, Cullen had felt attraction to men before, but  because…

Dorian had taken another step closer, his breath was warm and smelled of wine and mint. Cullen knew then, Dorian felt like the piece he had been missing. How had he been so blind? This wasn’t the first time this feeling had risen up inside him when the mage was around either, but this time he was inches from him. Inches from the person that could make him feel like life wasn’t just a constant parade of death and duty. Someone that could make him remember how beautiful things were. How good it felt to talk and laugh.

His eye lingered on Dorian’s lips a moment before he pulled the mage close and was pressing his lips to his. Gently, tentatively – hoping that this is what Dorian wanted. Hoping it was really what he wanted.  Was this the right thing? Was he mistaking Dorian’s kindness for something else?  Cullen felt insecurity creeping up his spine and made to pull away apologetically .

“Now, now,” Dorian purred, wrapping his arms around Cullen’s waist and pulling him in again. “Isn’t this an interesting development? I never knew, Cullen.”

“I think you did,” the Commander slid his hands around the mage’s back, his body supple under his hands.

“You’ve got me,” Dorian’s lips were soft against Cullen’s, this time he  did not hesitate.

****

“Are you awake?”

Cullen broke from his reverie, turning to look at Dorian  over his shoulder . He had apparently finished the book and had been watching him for some time. The mage’s eyes were the color of the moonlight as he smiled down fondly.

“No,” Cullen  admitted. “I was just thinking about how you never lent me that book.”


End file.
